A motor vehicle storage battery sometimes falls into a state of discharge such that it cannot deliver sufficient current to the starter motor. This occurs most commonly due to excessive current drain, insufficient charging time and severe environmental conditions.
To start a vehicle whose storage battery has run down requires either bypassing the electrical starting system entirely, or supplying the system with an additional source of electrical power. The former is generally accomplished by push-starting the vehicle, the latter by using jumper cables. Push starting requires assistance in the form of a push vehicle or muscle power. Additionally, only cars fitted with standard transmissions can be effectively push started. Jump starting also requires the aid of an additional vehicle. Further, cables must be available and must be externally connected, requiring the user to exit the vehicle and be exposed to the hazards of a possible battery explosion and associated mishaps as a result of misconnection.
Several self-contained means for charging a vehicle's inoperative battery to enable the vehicle to start have been developed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,004,208, issued to Tamminen, discloses a starting aid which may be carried within a vehicle to provide an emergency power source. This starting aid, as do many others, requires separate batteries be provided which are carries inside the vehicle's passenger compartment. Other devices are known in the art, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,262, issued to Sada et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,305, issued to Anglin, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,415, issued to Ownby. These all require either a connection to an external power source, or several separate batteries be provided. Such arrangements are expensive, utilize excessive space, or are not suitable for easy reuse should the starter battery become discharged repeatedly.